A West Belfast man went on trial today accused of sexually abusing his now 33-year-old niece when she was aged from six or seven to 14.

A jury of seven women and five men heard that the 62-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies a total of nine charges, allegedly committed between the late 1980's and early 1990's, and involving seven of indecent assault and one each of gross indecency, and incitement.

Prosecution barrister Laura Ivers also told trial Judge Patricia Smyth that the alleged abuse took place in two homes the man lived in, when his niece was under the legal age and therefore could not consent to any sexual activity.

Ms Ivers said that "in a nutshell... the core allegations" of the woman was that her uncle "sexually abused her as a child, that it was sustained abuse, in other words it went on for sometime and took different forms".

She added as the girl grew older she had less contact with her uncle until it stopped altogether.

The lawyer said some of the charges involved specific counts, such as the woman allegedly being sexually abused before a caravan holiday when her brother and cousin were given money to go to the shops.

Other charges were sample offences, to cover the abuse she claimed occurred "quite frequently" until her mid-teens.

Ms Ivers said that while the woman said nothing at the time, she eventually went to the police in 2014 and made a video recorded statement to detectives.

The man was then interviewed by police and in answer to her allegations "denied any wrongdoing". At hearing.